Forecast weather is likely to cause significant impacts across health and social care services, including:
- a rise in deaths, particularly among those ages 65 and over or with health conditions.There may also be impacts on younger age groups
- likely increased demand on all health and social care services
- internal temperatures in care settings (hospitals and care homes) may exceed recommended threshold for clinical risk assessment
- the heat affecting the ability of the workforce to deliver services
- indoor environments overheating increasing the risk to vulnerable people living independently in community and care settings
- issues managing medicines
- staffing issues due to external factors (for example, affecting transport)
- increased demand for power exceeding capacity
- other sectors starting to observe impacts (for example, travel delays)